Chapter 70

“If he causes any more trouble, tell him I’ll cut off his arms and legs. If necessary, you may beat him.”

Ellen turned her gaze indifferently and gave her command with finality.

“…Go and tell him that.”

The servant stared blankly at Ellen before coming to his senses and leaving. Emma looked like she wanted to protest, but Ellen sent her away as well. Once Emma’s presence vanished, Ellen buried her head in her arms. She sincerely hoped he would stop causing a commotion. Her chest felt stifled.

Perhaps because Ellen’s orders were delivered properly, there was no more news of Lennox trying to break down the basement door. Ellen didn’t want to hear about it, but Emma continued to report Lennox’s condition to her. Ellen wanted to tell her not to, but she couldn’t help listening to the reports. Still, she never once went to where Lennox was.

Time passed indifferently, and the dreadful day arrived. The day Ellen would become someone else’s wife instead of Lennox’s. From early morning, Ellen stared vacantly at her own reflection as she was slowly dressed up. She felt numb; the sensation of being dressed, the maids’ careful hands—none of it seemed real. It all felt like someone else’s business. A white veil was placed over her head. Her vision blurred. Supported by maids on either side, Ellen slowly walked toward the carriage that would take her to the temple for the wedding.

“My Lady?”

Emma called softly as Ellen suddenly stopped. Ellen’s empty gaze lingered on the entrance to the basement. Sensing where Ellen was looking, Emma didn’t urge her on. Ellen slowly walked toward the entrance to the basement. None of the servants tried to stop her.

Her gloved hand in white silk brushed the entrance longingly. Without a word, she simply stood there, as if greeting or comforting someone below.

“…Let’s go.”

Ten minutes later, Ellen turned away and resumed walking. Her feet felt glued to the floor, but she forced herself onward and stepped out the front entrance. There, a lavishly decorated carriage awaited, and Baron Dermann smiled broadly, extending his hand. Ellen unconsciously bit her lip and clenched her fist, but soon relaxed her expression and smiled brightly as ‘Lady Valère.’ Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his thick palm.

“I’ve waited for this day, Lady Valère.”

“So have I.”

Ellen’s tongue moved smoothly, weaving lies. Baron Dermann laughed boisterously and led Ellen to the carriage. Ellen boarded the carriage that would deliver the worst day of her life.

The carriage left behind the Valère mansion, which had witnessed so many stories and left wounds on her and Lennox until the very end.

* * *

“Master, a letter has arrived.”

“Is that so?”

Viscount Valère received the letter on a small silver tray and opened it with a paper knife. As he read it slowly, a smile formed on his lips.

“Release Sir Lennon now.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Viscount Valère tapped the letters from Baron Roswell, who wanted to do business together again, and from Baron Dermann, who proposed a new business venture, and leaned comfortably in his chair. It was exactly one week since Ellen had married Baron Dermann.

* * *

Lennox slowly opened his eyes. He’d lost count of how many days it had been. His skin was rougher than when he’d been at the border, and his beard had grown wild, leaving him a mess. Half-eaten food lay scattered at his feet as he leaned against the wall. Other than the thin sunlight filtering in, there was nothing in the closed room.

‘I was locked up as a child, too.’

It was the same room where he’d been punished by Viscount Valère, slapped in Ellen’s stead and kicked, left to be locked up. This time, it wasn’t Viscount Valère, but his lover Ellen who had locked him here. Lennox let out a self-deprecating laugh at the absurdity. He wanted to leave the basement and talk to Ellen, to understand why she was acting this way.

‘Why is she doing this all of a sudden, and why did she smile like that?’

Recalling the last image of Ellen, Lennox’s heart tightened. He cursed himself for not embracing her right then. Even now, he wanted to go and hold her. That was the right thing to do. So he tried to escape by force. Servants fell one by one. He was about to climb up to the ground when a servant relayed Ellen’s command, freezing him in place. Realizing the cold intent behind her command, Lennox’s mind went blank. She was truly saying goodbye, and her order was a desperate warning to stay put.

‘Why…?’

No matter how much he thought about it while locked up, he couldn’t find an answer. If it was because of her marriage to Baron Dermann, he could have stopped it. Lennox was her knight, friend, family, and lover—he could do anything she wanted. That’s why he didn’t understand her.

Could it be because she was lonely while he was away at war?

‘Impossible.’

Ellen wasn’t the kind of woman to speak of breaking up for such a reason. He couldn’t guess what she was thinking. He needed to meet her in person, hear her true feelings, comfort her, and find a solution together. If necessary, he would stain his hands with blood—for her.

‘Maybe I should just wait.’

This confinement wouldn’t last long. For both of them, they were each other’s only weakness and endlessly vulnerable to each other. They couldn’t hurt one another.

Logic told him this, but his instincts didn’t agree. Anxiety and impatience numbed his hands and feet. He felt ready to bolt at any moment. Lennox closed his eyes to calm himself.

Ellen’s image filled his mind: crying, laughing, angry, worried, and… sadly smiling as she said goodbye.

When he remembered that, Lennox’s eyes snapped open.

His sharp ears caught the faint creak of a rusty door and the sound of a servant walking down. He stepped to the door at once. The wooden door, locked tight, opened and the servant’s face appeared.

“Sir Lennon.”

“What about Lady Ellen?”

So much was contained in that short question. The servant hesitated under Lennox’s gaze before finally speaking.

“Lady Ellen is no longer here.”

“What?”

“A week ago, she married Baron Dermann and became Baroness Dermann.”

“…….”

“I was sent by the Master to release you.”

The servant’s words stopped registering. It took a long time for their meaning to sink in.

“Len…nox—ugh!”

The servant, who was cautiously calling Lennox’s name as he stood frozen, let out a strangled scream. Lennox grabbed the servant by the collar and growled, pronouncing each word slowly.

“I think I must have heard wrong.”

“S-she married a week ago, so now—urgh!”

After shoving the servant aside, Lennox climbed up to the ground in one stride. The bright lights, so different from the dark basement, dazzled his eyes. He frowned for a moment, then walked straight to Viscount Valère’s study. The servants and maids along his path gasped and moved aside at his wild energy. Reaching the study, Lennox was about to knock when Adol’s voice inside made him pause.

“Will you write a letter to Lady Ellen?”

“Why would I write to Baroness Dermann? She’s no longer my concern.”

“But she’s your only daughter. She might be waiting for your letter.”

“If so, she should write to me first. I don’t need it. The business is going well, and I’ll live quietly now—she can just have a son and send him to me.”

“If she has a son, will you really send for him?”

“What if she doesn’t? If our family line ends, I’ll lose all my backing and have nowhere to return, so I won’t make a foolish choice.”

“But…”

“She’s gone to the Dermann family, so she just needs to fulfill her role. Born as a daughter, she must prove her worth in this world.”

At Viscount Valère’s words, Lennox clenched his fist. His veins bulged. He gritted his teeth and was about to open the door when he froze at the next words.

“Laura, if she hadn’t been so rebellious, there would be a boy growing up in this mansion right now.”

“Sir.”

Adol, startled, lowered his voice, and Viscount Valère snorted.

“It’s true. Even if she sold her title, she’s still from a barony by birth, knows basic noble etiquette and conversation, and has a gentle personality. She may be a bit lacking, but she’d be enough to bear my heir.”

“But Laura already has a son, Sir Lennon.”

“Does that matter? Lennox’s father was a knight, and he was born from Laura, so his origins are noble. I was even willing to adopt him. But Laura dared to defy me.”

Viscount Valère slammed his desk, still angry at the memory. For a while, only his heavy breathing filled the study.